Caught In A Dream
by MELoveStories
Summary: After the Battle Kili remains unconscious and Tauriel holds an anxious vigil, hoping desperately that he will keep his promise and return to her. BOTFA slight re-write - the Durins are all injured but nobody dies.


**Caught in a Dream**

November 23-25, 2941

Bolg hit Kili's sword away and smashed him on the side of the head with the side of his mace, chuckling brokenly when he crumpled to the ground. "Kili!" Tauriel cried from her position on the snow covered stone. Before the giant orc could do more damage she heaved herself painfully to her feet and leapt at him. He batted her away like a toy but she swung around and used the momentum to push off the rock face and send them both over the side.

She tumbled head over feet down to the ledge and lost her breath and her grasp on reality for some few minutes. Tauriel did not see Legolas come to her rescue and finish Bolg, but she woke to his gentle touch on her face, gasping and wincing when he helped her sit and tried to assess what of many things hurt the most. It was impossible to tell through her uniform and leather guard but Legolas feared removing them in case that aggravated her injuries. Instead he wrapped an arm carefully around her and together they made the slow, hobbling climb back to where she'd seen Kili fall.

Once there Tauriel pushed away from Legolas and fell on her knees beside the prone figure, touching his hair, his face, his chest. "Kili? No!" She turned pleading eyes on her friend. "Legolas?"

He knelt to check Kili's pulse and smiled slightly. "He yet lives and breathes mellon, but he is in need of a healer, as I'm sure are many others."

"Fili," Tauriel managed, "the blond one with all the knives. They are brothers. Please, will you find him?" She should've come upon them fighting side by side and it sickened her to see Kili alone and imagine the reason why.

He touched her hair lightly, afraid anywhere else would hurt. "I'll look Tauriel."

Tauriel sat by Kili, speaking to him softly, relieved by the steady if shallow rise and fall of his chest, but troubled by his stillness and lack of awareness. From her pocket came the runestone and she traced the familiar letters. "You made me a promise," she whispered. "Please come back to keep it."

That's how they found her sometime later, oblivious to her own trauma and focused only on Kili. Though wary of her, the dwarves had seen many elves fighting on their side today and so did not question her presence with their prince. The young one she recognized from the dungeon and asked, "How did the rest of your company fare?"

Ori's face expression grew pinched. "Fili is...in a bad way and Thorin has injuries...Lady Elf, we can't lose them all, we just can't!"

She squeezed his shoulder. "Go to Dale and ask for the Elven healer Elenna, tell her Captain Tauriel sent you." Tauriel used the title because that is how they would know her, though she knew very likely she was a Captain no longer after her actions towards the king earlier. "Take her to Oin. He saw our medicine work on Kili, perhaps he will let her assist him in treating them."

Relieved for a task, Ori hurried off and Tauriel got to her feet to follow those carrying the litter, then sank back down, unable to move on her own power. Legolas came back for her not long after and helped her to level ground but insisted on carrying her from there, ignoring her protests. When he tried to go to the Elven healing tent Tauriel resisted strongly. "I have to see Kili, I have to be with him." Her voice dropped. "Legolas, please. He fell defending me against Bolg."

Yielding to her plea Legolas set her down ad supported her to the dwarf tent where she claimed a spot by Kili's side, disregarding the hustle and bustle around them. She sat there for two days, refusing to be treated until Kili woke, not eating and hardly closing her eyes for a moment. But she relented when they came to give him a bath and change his clothes, and to Legolas' great relief (he'd paced for much of that time), finally submitted to an examination. Tauriel was given the chance for a bath as well and then had broken ribs and a wrenched knee wrapped, cuts stitched and a fractured forearm splinted.

Borrowed clean clothes made a world of difference but that did not stop Tauriel from reclaiming her chair the moment they released her, grasping Kili's hand once more and waiting patiently but anxiously for any sign of change. Legolas could not go back to Mirkwood, but neither could he choose another path on which to move forward until things were settled for Tauriel and the dwarf. It was impossible for him to leave without knowing she'd be okay.

 **LOTR**

November 26 - Day 3

On the third day Kili was moved inside the Mountain where the less injured members of the Company and Dain's soldiers had been working to clear some of the debris as well as clean and repair enough rooms so the royal family did not need be housed in tents during their convalescence. Tauriel, returning from a short walk Legolas had insisted on to give her a brief change of scenery and work off some of her restlessness, grew white with fright when she saw two dwarves bearing a stretcher with Kili laid out on it.

"Kili!" she cried, breaking away from Legolas and rushing forward.

Balin stopped her before she reached them. "Easy lass, there's been no change. The prince is merely being taken to his rightful home while we await his recovery."

Tauriel drew herself up, though her lips trembled. "I won't be parted from him."

The aged dwarf smiled. "Aye, I thought as much. Bofur and Ori have made up the old nursery for you. It's attached to Kili's room so you'll not be far away."

She eyed the dwarrow warily. "Your people will not want an elf in their mountain."

Balin patted her arm reassuringly. "Oin says you saved the lad's life in Lake-town, your prince confirms your defense of Kili on Ravenhill. That more than earns you a place among us and you have our thanks." He bowed to her. Tauriel's eyes flickered to the stretcher and Balin chuckled. "Off with you now. Kili will want you on hand when he wakes of the story Bofur told holds any truth."

Legolas sighed, watching her go. "The lady loves your prince Master Dwarf. I know not whether to rejoice or grieve. There is little hope the match will be supported by either race, though she has already been banished by the king for going to save him, among other things. She will die of a broken heart if forced to be separated from him or if he does not recover." He closed his eyes. "Elves may be known for their wisdom but any for this situation eludes me. Have you anything that might help?"

An elf asking a dwarf for assistance? Surely that alone heralded a new change in the present age. Balin gazed at the healing tent. "If Fili pulls through he will be on his brother's side and together they may sway Thorin, given as well how the elves came to defense of our people. For the dwarrow to accept it will be another thing entirely. Do you stand by your friend?"

Legolas sighed. "I've loved her for many centuries as one who is like kin and closer to me than any other. I fear for the sorrow that will come from their union, but if this be her desire Tauriel will have my full support. I cannot call myself her friend and act in any other manner."

"Then only time will tell I suppose. Come my lord prince, we have hot drinks over the fire. Join us and let us learn more of each other. One day that might prove a wise use of our time."

Legolas nodded once and followed, his thoughts never far from Tauriel. Too much was uncertain, he simply wanted her to be alright.

 **LOTR**

November 27 - Day 4

Legolas checked on her early the next morning, sitting on an appropriated stool at Kili's bedside. Tauriel cast an anguished gaze at him. "Why does he not wake?"

He crouched beside her. "What did Elenna say?" The Elven healer had stayed an extra day to do what she could for the king and his nephews and left only hours ago, for they were out of danger but with a long road yet ahead.

Tauriel rubbed a hand over her face, never letting go of Kili. "That just now he is very far away, though his injuries are beginning to mend. She encouraged everyone to speak to him, but Legolas...I look at him laying there so still and the words stick in my throat." She closed her eyes. "If only it was possible to share my immortality with him, or give it up entirely so we are never apart."

Alarmed by the direction her thoughts were taking, Legolas grasped her arm. "Tauriel...even if you became mortal as Luthien did, both Elves and Men are separated, from Dwarves and each other, when they pass beyond the world." He tucked some hair behind her ear. "I am sorry mellon, what you long for may not be possible."

A tear slipped from beneath her lashes. "I have gone over and over it in my mind, how I might keep him longer if I am granted the chance to keep him at all." Tauriel started crying in earnest. "What am I going to do Legolas?"

He took her in his arms, his dearest and closest friend, letting her weep for an end that would come all too soon. "If you could appeal to the Valar, that Kili be allowed to sail with you as an Elf-friend, on the grounds that he defended you, perhaps there could be a chance." Legolas wanted to give her some hope for the future, though in his heart he feared it was only false.

Tauriel sniffed and kissed his cheek, scrubbing at her wet face with the sleeve of her borrowed dress. It made her look even younger somehow, more vulnerable, and he suddenly realized what else was different. "I haven't seen your hair loose in decades. Would you permit me to do your braids?" That at least would make her seem more like herself.

Tauriel held out a length of the burnished copper and studied it. "Something simpler, perhaps, than my normal ones. Two plaits just here and clasped? It will not fall in my face then."

Legolas dropped a kiss on her head and began, hoping the act was as calming for her now as when she was young. Tauriel had always liked to have her hair played with. He wondered if he should share that information with Kili when he woke or let him discover it for himself as their relationship deepened. Legolas finished and used one of his clasps from a pocket since hers were not to be seen when he glanced about the space.

She squeezed his hand when he stepped back, whispering, "Hannon le," and returned her attention to her unconscious dwarf prince.

Legolas watched them a moment longer before exiting quietly. He passed dwarves in the hall that were beginning to look familiar and headed outside for a breath of fresh air and the sun on his skin. The one with the funny hat, Bofur he recalled, moved next to him. "How's the lad doing?"

"No change," Legolas responded in monotone, thoughts tipping between Tauriel and his course now that he'd left the forest behind.

"And our elf?" No one knew quite what to call Tauriel when she and Kili had no formal attachment between them, but Bofur seemed the easygoing type and readily accepted her given her actions in Lake-town.

Legolas flexed his shoulders, a little indignant about having his friend claimed by dwarves of all things. But she needed their support if anything was to come of the bond between herself and the now prince. "She is worried," he admitted. "It has been four days. And though we do not mark them as such in our own land, time stretches out longer when waiting for news - good or bad."

"Aye, that's the truth." He puffed on his pipe.

"How fare the others?" Legolas asked after a moment.

Bofur grinned. "Thorin woke yestereve, he is well on his way." He hesitated. "We've uh, not told him about the elf yet. Oin says he must stay in bed for three more days at least, Dwalin is guarding him to keep it so. There is a little time yet to decide how we should break the news that our Kili is in love with an elf."

Legolas tried to imagine his father's reaction upon hearing similar news and winced. Bofur chuckled. "I know that feeling." He blew out a cloud of smoke. "Fili stirred today, but that is all so far. Your healer seemed hopeful that his wound will mend, though it was a grievous injury. He's lucky to be alive at all. We feel blessed to have them all drawing breath still, given what was faced up there."

The elf prince nodded and said no more as they watched the sun begin its slow decent from the sky in peaceful silence together. A fortnight ago such would have seemed impossible. It was amazing how much could change in so little time.

 **LOTR**

Balin looked in on them near midnight as had become his custom before retiring and felt a pang in his heart at the worry gripping Tauriel's expression. "Have you taken no rest at all yet lass?"

Having heard his entrance, quiet though it was, Tauriel barely flickered her gaze from Kili's pale face. "I fear to close my eyes Master Dwarf, lest he is gone from us entirely while I was neglectful in my watch."

Balin didn't know what to say and dared to lay a hand on her shoulder, a meager offer of comfort in a dark hour. "Ah Lady Elf, that our Kili could merit such faithfulness from an elf... Surely a new age of the world must be at hand."

Tauriel swallowed hard and finally released her grip on Kili's fingers, dropping her head into her hands, her body shaking with dry sobs as she refused to let a tear fall. Three hundred years she'd learned to be strong despite her feelings, she could do no less here, for him. "I know not...how long I can bear this waiting," she managed at last. "It has already felt like decades that I've sat here counting his breaths."

He pulled a chair up to the bed. "If you don't mind, perhaps I'll wait with you for a time."

A glimmer of a smile claimed her lips. "Thank you Master Dwarf, I would welcome the company."

Though Balin did find his bed eventually, the hours he spent at the elf's side impressed upon him very clearly a glimpse of the future if Kili survived. There likely existed no force within Arda strong enough to move Tauriel from their prince's side if he loved her back.

 **LOTR**

November 28 - Day 5

By the fifth day Tauriel could not keep her emotions in check any longer - the combination of fear, worry, pain from her injuries, pain in her heart, and a complete lack of rest. The emotional distress came pouring out after she'd spent another hour staring at Kili's prostrate form. Burying her head in her arms, Tauriel wept - great heaving sobs and stormy tears - until at last, for now, the despair was spent. Then she took up Kili's hand once more, silently apologizing fo her lack of control and speaking to him in thought, though she did not know if dwarves could receive it - even if technically all the created had the ability, some never used it and might not be as open as others.

 _You came to love before me Kili, on the shores of Long Lake, but now I am afraid I have gotten far ahead of you imagining the future we could have together. I only want to be with you. I have no home, no place to belong on Arda with my king's banishment. But I hope, perhaps, that you might allow me to make your heart my home. I love you Kili. I wish I'd answered your question in Bard's home, or told you before you got in that boat._

 _I did not know it was possible to love so deeply that is consumes me and overshadows everything else. It is why I came to Ravenhill, why I pushed Bolg over the cliff, why I sit here even now counting your breaths and longing to see you wake to aim that cheeky grin and those dark intense eyes my way again. I want that more than anything, even if I cannot put the desire into words spoken out loud. Please return to me and you will see how fully an elf can love the one who draws her heart._

 **LOTR**

November 29 - Day 6

The sixth day began as all the others with no sign it was going to be any different and Tauriel could feel her hope slipping away. The others in the Company came to check on Kili regularly, especially Oin, Balin, and Bofur, and during those times she often retreated to her room to give them privacy, sitting on the bed she'd never slept in, and listening through the crack in the door to what the dwarves spoke of when they thought she could not hear.

Today though Tauriel was just beyond herself. She'd allowed herself no true rest - in Elven fashion or otherwise - since the night before the dwarves escaped Mirkwood's halls and though elves had remarkable endurance, eventually they reached their limit and this was hers. Expecting to be alone for some time - Kili's visitors often petered out in the afternoon as they had many other duties to attend to - Tauriel looked slowly around the otherwise empty chamber and slipped off her shoes.

She could not bear to be far from Kili so she lay down gingerly at the very edge of his bed and settled on her side facing him. Very gently Tauriel reached over and placed her palm on his chest, needing the reassurance of the steady beat of his heart. At last she tucked one hand beneath her cheek and closed her eyes. Tauriel knew nothing after sleep claimed her until something finally disturbed her rest two full days later.

 **LOTR**

That night Oin walked into Kili's room to check on him before retiring and hastened back out, nearly running Balin over. The white haired dwarf steadied his friend. "What's your hurry cousin?" His eyebrows rose hopefully. "Has the lad awakened?"

Oin shook his head, pulling him in, and they both stopped short just past the threshold. "See?" Oin pointed. "What are we to do about that?"

Balin blinked in surprise at the sight of their resident elf curled up on the bed beside Kili, not close enough for the position to be indecent, but Tauriel's hand rested on Kili's gently rising and falling chest, right over his heart. He watched quietly for a moment and then ushered Oin back out, closing the door. "The poor lass probably hasn't slept in over a week. I've heard elves can go without rest for long stretches, but there must be a threshold eventually." He clasped Oin's shoulder, steering him away. "I hardly think we can begrudge her a wee bit of comfort after the loyalty she's shown the lad."

Oin cast a distrustful look back over his shoulder at Kili's closed door but didn't protest and except for necessary things - dribbling water into Kili's mouth every few hours and changing soiled linens (which they did as unobtrusively as possible) - Kili and Tauriel were mostly left alone for the next couple days so Tauriel could truly rest without interruption.

 **LOTR**

December 1 - Day 8

Kili released a deep breath and yawned, stretching his limbs but stopping right away when he was made aware of aches and pains he didn't remember acquiring. Frowning, he blinked opened his eyes and stared up at the polished stone ceiling. Or at least, polished under nearly two centuries of accumulated dust. They must've made it to Erebor after all. The disorientation was cleared in flashes as he recalled snippets of their escape from Mirkwood, Lake-town, the dragon, fire, and of course the incredible elf-maid who saved his life more than once.

Rolling his head to the side, Kili started on seeing said elf-maid laying within touching distance. "I must still be lost in dreams," he muttered to himself. Risking finding out she was but an illusion conjured up by his longing, Kili reached out and caught a tendril of bright red hair, twirling it around his finger. "So soft," he murmured. "I thought it might be."

Kili shifted carefully to his side, wincing with each movement, and brushed his knuckles down her cheek. She felt real enough. "Tauriel?" She shifted slightly with a quiet sigh, unconsciously leaning into his touch. Kili smiled. "Tauriel? Amralime?"

At that her eyes fluttered and suddenly came wide open at the sight of his face. "Kili?"

"Aye." He looked between them. "Do you mind telling me how we came to be sharing a bed? I would hate to have missed any of the fun parts."

The joke was lost on her as Tauriel jolted upright and started to move away. Kili grasped her wrist, finding himself alarmingly weak, and swallowed. "Please don't go."

Tauriel studied him for several moments before sitting back down, lifting two fingers to move a lock of hair off his forehead. Her gentle touch continued down his nose, across his cheek, along his shoulder, and down his chest until Kili caught her hand and held it. "You kept your promise." His brow furrowed so she showed him the runestone. "Return to me? Six days I have waited to see you smile again, at last you've come back to me."

His eyebrows rose. "Six days? Have you been here that long?"

"Not on the bed, but yes I've been here. I argued for the right to be at your side. I could not be parted from you until I knew the outcome, for good or ill." Not that she wanted to be parted from him now very much either.

Kili kissed her hand. "I'm sorry to cause you worry Tauriel."

She wore a sad smile. "Do you remember the battle?"

He concentrated hard and his heart dropped as his panicked gaze jumped to hers. "Fili!"

Tauriel shook her head. "Do not fear. Your brother and uncle are safe. Not fully recovered yet, but every day they are better."

Kili closed his eyes. "I was fighting and I heard...I heard your voice. At first I thought I was hearing things but then it came again. I managed to get free of my foes and followed the sound of you doing battle with...Bolg. I tried...I tried to defend you but he was so fierce." His eye shadowed. "I don't remember any more."

Tauriel smoothed a hand over his shirt. "You are lucky to remember that much."

"How did we end up here?"

Obligingly she recounted the events of the past sennight and when finally they reached present time Tauriel glanced at the door. "I should inform the others that you are awake. They've all been full of concern." Some snatches of conversation she'd overhead were threaded with relief to have still the king and his heir, but lamented greatly the loss Erebor would feel if their second prince did not pull through. Tauriel was pleased to know he was so beloved of them. He had become dear to her beyond expression since first they met.

Kili found he did not much want to let her out of his sight but conceded the reality of the situation. "Alright."

As it turned out, all Tauriel needed was to poke her head out the door and there was Ori. She smiled at the innocent young dwarf. "Fetch Oin and Balin, Kili has returned to us."

Joy lit his face as he rushed down the hall and Tauriel quickly went to Kili's side. "They will be coming, perhaps Thorin too. He does not know I am here. My room is just there," she pointed at the connecting portal. "I will stay out of sight for now."

Part of Kili wanted to protest, longing to have hear near even during time with his kin. But they'd made no declarations and he would not suffer Tauriel to face Thorin's wrath until he was well enough to stand at her side and take the brunt of his uncle's reaction. All these things crossed his face and Tauriel understood the conflict. She bent to kiss his forehead and whispered something in Elvish. Kili grasped her hand, pressing fervent warm lips to her palm. "Don't go anywhere, please."

She slid her fingers through his hair and disappeared into the nursery just before the door to his room was flung open and the whole Company pushed in, nearly tumbling over each other in their haste to get to him. Thorin came last, limping with Dwalin's support, and Tauriel listened to the joyful sounds of their reunion. "Eight days is a long time lad, you had us worried," Gloin began.

Kili's brow furrowed. "Eight? But I thought-" Catching the warning look from Balin, he broke off and cleared his throat. "I did not realize it had been so long."

In the next room Tauriel heard the number and was also surprised. She had not bothered to measure the length of time for which she rested next to Kili on the bed and was glad she had not been alert to mark so many more hours before his awakening.

Kili's first concern was for Fili. "How is my brother?" he asked, beginning to push back the covers with the thought of going to him. Oin and Nori stayed his movements.

"Fili is fine but he's in no shape for visiting and neither, I'm afraid, are you. We can carry a message to him if you like, but it'll be two days more before you can go there. He'll not be moving from that bed for some time."

Thorin, overcome by Kili's long absence and now recovery, pressed his forehead to his nephew's. "My boy. We are blessed to have you back." He murmured something in Khuzdul and Kili reciprocated.

"Tell Fi I'll...get him back for scaring me," he managed at last, trying to hold in his tears. "He's really okay Uncle?"

Thorin touched the dark hair so like his own. "We nearly lost him, despite his armour it was a nasty wound. But with some help from...elves," he grimaced as if even the word itself tasted bitter, "he's on the mend. Oin will be watching him like a hawk for weeks but Fili is improving every day."

Kili closed his eyes. "Good. I trust you Uncle."

Thorin swallowed. That the lad still trusted him after all he put them through... "Get some rest. But not too much," he warned.

Smaller groups of dwarrow hung around his room for hours except when Oin shooed them away to fully examine Kili. He took solace in Tauriel not being present for that part, especially when he had to ask for help to relieve himself. Finally he was alone once more, now wearing clean clothes and reclining on pillows in the freshly made up bed. Clearing his throat, Kili called softly, "Tauriel?"

She opened the door immediately, leading him to wonder how much she'd heard, and smiled. "You have some colour back in your cheeks, that is good."

He held out his hand for her. "I missed you." Time was rather hard to pin down until his eyes found the clock. "Oh, it's later than I thought." Kili looked down, a bit embarrassed to ask. "Will you...sleep beside me again Tauriel? I don't want to be alone anymore."

Her brow furrowed as she sat on the bed. "You have not been alone Kili. Someone has stayed by your side nearly every moment."

He sighed. "Wherever I was before I awoke - neither here nor there but somewhere in between - I was surrounded by a thick white fog. Outside I could hear the voices of everyone I loved but no matter which way I turned or how far I walked or how loudly I shouted I could not find them." Kili tightened his grip on her hand. "I have been alone and...afraid for so long. Please Tauriel." He felt like begging if need be, he longed so badly to have her close.

"Kili..." Tauriel hesitated, biting her lip which he found very distracting. "I am not yet fully rested. I may sleep another day or more once I finally relax, and how would you explain that?"

He flashed her that cheeky grin she'd been feeling the lack of. "You forget I'm now a prince." The office had to be good for something. "I don't have to explain anything to anyone."

"Except Thorin and Fili," she pointed out.

Kili waved off the concern. "Fili can't get out of bed, Thorin is to be resting. I'll charm the others out of mentioning it. I just want to have you near."

Despite her misgivings Tauriel relented and settled atop the covers, much further away than he would've preferred. But at least she was there. Anything was possible now.

 **LOTR**

December 2 - Day 9

Tauriel was indeed correct about sleeping another full day at least. When Balin peeked in on him in the morning Kili put a finger to his lips and whispered that he needed Thorin distracted until his elf rejoined the waking world and for Oin to keep quiet yet about her presence in the Mountain and in his bed. The older dwarf raised a skeptical eyebrow but nonetheless agreed and unless he was taking care of personal needs - at one point a screen was set up for him to have a bath behind when it was clear she would go on sleeping despite any comings and goings - Kili was content to sit propped up by pillows and watch her breathe.

Tauriel looked so young when she slept, fully at ease without the hard lines of authority or the furrow of worry between her brows. He'd not seen her so tension free since the night they spoke of starlight and she smiled so radiantly, then indulged his dramatic nature by paying rapt attention to his fire moon story. Kili wanted to see her smile like that at him again. She'd been too weighed down by concern yesterday for her smile to be more than a glimmer and the light had yet to fully return to her eyes.

At one point Legolas entered, his steps so soft Kili didn't hear him until he spoke. "I ought to challenge you for the way you look at her," he began sharply.

Kili raised his hands. The elf had been a regular nuisance the past day, as if someone appointed him their chaperone. His nose wrinkled, not willing to put it past Oin or Nori to do such a thing. "I've not touched her."

Legolas crossed his arms, appearing very much as if he might pout before his features smoothed out. "I know." He'd checked on them many times over the first two days when both were sleeping and saw the distance she'd put between them. "But it is against my better judgement to leave you alone together even if your actions are chaste." He considered the dwarf. "Have you spoken of feelings?" He'd not betray Tauriel's confidence, though where her heart stood on the matter of Kili was hardly a secret now.

"Not in so many words," Kili answered at last, "but her devoted vigil speaks for itself and I already made her a promise."

"What will you do when your uncle reacts the way I suspect he will?" Legolas confronted him.

Kili shrugged. "I'm not worried about Thorin. He may bluster and scowl a good deal but he cannot deny the value of her actions. I would not be here three times over if Tauriel had not intervened. She did it of her own free will, expecting nothing in return. I would challenge Thorin that what Tauriel is owed can only be paid by her acceptance - here in the Mountain and at my side if that is her wish."

Legolas leveled a piercing stare at him for a long time. "I want to dislike you because you are a dwarf. But I sense you speak the truth and I myself have seen you rise to her defense at great peril to yourself." He sighed. "Tauriel loves you Kili. I do not know how to explain what that means to an elf. She will have no other, even if you do not want her. Elves love for all eternity, even beyond death. I beg of you to make plain your feelings lest she despair for not being certain where your heart lies. So much is different between our peoples...but this is the most precious gift she can give you, valued even above the starlight and trees she loves."

Kili ached to press a kiss to Tauriel's hand or cheek in light of Legolas' words but feared disturbing her or raising the ire of her ever watchful guardian. "Prince Legolas, dwarves also do not take lightly love and the joining of lives. Dwarf women are just a third of our race and can be very choosy about their mate because of that. We take only one wife and the women only one husband all the days of our lives."

His gaze fell to the blankets. "The women of my kind have never looked at me as Tauriel does. I am lacking, because of my beard and my choice of weapon, among other things. But Tauriel...she doesn't see what's missing. I felt it that night in your dungeons. When she looked at me through those bars she didn't see a prisoner or a lowly dwarf, she saw me. I teased her, made her smile, intrigued her, and she sat listening as if we were not on opposite sides from different peoples but rather two beings who might become friends."

Kili smiled softly. "She called my promise to my mother precious and pure like the starlight, but those words belong to her also. That one such as Tauriel would deign to look at me, think of me...love me..." he shook his head. "I swear that I would never lose sight of what a treasure the gift of her heart is."

Legolas still seemed disquieted but finally relented and bowed. "Then I think we understand each other Prince Kili."

Kili dipped his head and watched the elf go before leaning closer to Tauriel. "He loves you, though differently than I do. I am glad he cares enough to stay."

 **LOTR**

December 3 - Day 10

He woke from an afternoon nap to see Legolas standing by Tauriel, running a gentle hand over her hair, and jumped. "Durin's beard!" he huffed. "What are you doing here?"

"I find it difficult not to be near her," he answered quietly. "Tauriel and I have spent three hundred years fighting side by side. We are rarely apart except when inside my father's halls. She is precious to me, as a friend closer than any other," Legolas elaborated when Kili eyed him suspiciously.

Kili lay back. "How long will she sleep?"

The elf continued his repetitive motion. "That is difficult to say. She pushed herself to the very edge of her endurance this time. Five days would not be unwarranted, though that is only a guess. If she cannot rest during a patrol she will sometimes sleep a day or two once it is over, but this situation was very different. You're not likely to see her sleep like this again." He glanced around the room. "Elves need starlight and trees, the breeze and sunshine. I am not even sure if she will be able to dream here under stone, after."

Kili didn't ask after what and Legolas felt not the need to explain. He bent to kiss her head lightly and looked at Kili. "Tauriel likes to have her hair played with. Very little else will be so calming and comforting to her." His lips curved up. "I've come to understand dwarves place a great significance on braiding." Though nothing else was said, Kili had a feeling Legolas knew much more than he was saying but his brain was too muddled to pick up the hint and he fell back to sleep as the elf turned and silently made his way out.

 **LOTR**

December 4 - Day 11

Tauriel awoke to Kili smiling at her and she closed her eyes again, her lips forming a slight smile. "You look at me with such wonder. Am I really so in your eyes?"

Her hand was caught up to his lips and Kili's heart on full display for her to see. "Aye my lady, you are."

She stretched long limbs and sat up slowly, picking at the material of her dress in distaste. "Forgive me. I ought to have bathed and changed before laying down and soiling your bed."

Kili shrugged. "No matter. I'm sure I was in a worse state during your watch."

High colour burned in Tauriel's cheeks for embarrassment. "Will you excuse me?" She rushed to the door, peeked out, and disappeared.

Though Kili waited some time she did not return and disappointment clouded his joy. Reluctantly getting up and slowly tending to his own toilette, the young dwarf prince left his chamber and walked, finally, just down the hall to where his uncle and brother were convalescing. On walking in the room tears filled Kili's eyes and he went slowly to his brother's side. "Oh Fi."

The Crown Prince, bolstered by pillows and rolled blankets, rested on his side to keep the pressure off his wound. He opened his eyes and offered a crooked grin. "Escaped Mahal's Halls, did you Ki?"

Kili scrubbed his wet cheeks. "Couldn't leave you here alone. The place would be in a shambles in a fortnight." He rested his forehead on Fili's. "I'm so sorry I haven't been here Fi."

Fili grasped his arm. "I'm glad to have you back brother." He choked on the next words. "They wouldn't let me see you. And I was afraid I'd missed the chance to...say goodbye."

Kili closed his eyes. "Brothers don't say goodbye Fi, you know that." He scanned his bandaged body. "What did they do to you?"

Fili chuckled. "You mean besides try to run me through and drop me off a cliff? Some bones are broken and one lung is giving me trouble," he coughed as if to prove the point. "But lucky for me that orc didn't know his anatomy so well. If he'd stabbed me on the others side it would've gone right through my heart and I wouldn't have had a chance. The elf healer...oh, you didn't meet her but Tauriel sent her...anyways, she said I was very fortunate. The injury will heal in time, a lot of it, but at least I'm alive to see it." He wrinkled his nose. "Though I may die of boredom before then. A dwarf can only sleep so much, even if the beds are very comfortable. We didn't know what we were missing, growing up outside of a kingdom." Fili glanced towards Thorin, who appeared to be sleeping, and lowered his voice. "What's this I hear about a redhaired elf hanging about the place?"

Kili's eyes widened. "They were supposed to keep quiet on that!"

Fili's eyebrows rose. "So it's true? Did she really stay with you the whole time you were lost to us?"

"Aye, she did," Kili confirmed, then sighed. "I love her Fi, but I don't know how to tell Thorin."

"You boys were always terrible at whispering," came Thorin's deep voice from across the room, "even as children." He aimed a penetrating gaze at them both. "Tell Thorin what?" The brothers froze and he rubbed his beard. "I'm not so thick I can't hear what's being said outside of partially closed doors. It seems there are a few things you did not tell me from the days we were apart."

Kili squared his shoulders and bowed. "Forgive me Uncle, but you were not yourself at a time when such tidings could be shared."

Thorin's eyes closed and he sighed. "Aye. For that you have my deepest apologies. Come here Kili." Kili went and felt again the strong embrace of his beloved uncle, ever like a father to him and Fili after their own was lost. Thorin bade him sit on the edge of the bed. "Tell me now lad."

Out of fear Kili remained standing. "You aren't going to like this news Thorin. But I would bear your displeasure now in hopes that it will not fall on another later." Thorin began already to see the truth in his nephew's face but remained silent. "Perhaps you noticed in Mirkwood one elf in particular among our jailers, a captain of the guard with long red hair flowing down her back." He cleared his throat, scuffing his foot on the floor.

"Her name is Tauriel. She...is wonderful. We became friends during our time in the dungeons but always for me the feelings ran deeper. The day we escaped she shot two orcs as I tried to get to the gate lever and saved my life when they would've taken it without a qualm. In Lake-town Tauriel used Elvish medicine to heal the poisoned wound from the arrow in my leg. And on Ravenhill she very nearly got herself killed defending me. Then for several days she sat by my side, allowing herself no rest, and by her care willed my return to the waking world."

Kili swallowed. "I love her Thorin, as I did not know it was possible to love another being not my kin, fully and fiercely. I do not wish to be parted from her, though I know well how you feel about elves. But Tauriel is special and if we cannot have your blessing I beg of you to allow her at least a place in the Mountain to match the one she already holds in my heart." He closed his eyes. "Please Thorin. She saved my life. She deserves to be welcome here, for the freedom to make that choice if she will." He finally ran out of words and stared at his boots, waiting.

Thorin watched his nephew with a mixture of trepidation and pride. He made his case thoroughly and waited for judgement to be rendered, though the king had little doubt the case would continue being argued every day henceforth if the answer was not what he desired. But still...an elf?

He must've said that part out loud because Kili's eyes met his, glittering vehemently. "Tauriel is more than her race and must be judged on her own merits. You saw what they did during the battle, how they fought in our defense. Maybe you're wrong about them Thorin. Or perhaps you and Thranduil are simply in contest to see who can be the most hardheaded and hold the longest grudge."

Thorin's sharp glare told him the comment was over the line but Kili was too worked up to care. "I will meet your elf-maid tomorrow. Mind the attitude you take with your king. My word on this matter will be final."

Feeling dismissed, Kili moved towards the door, shooting a pleading glance at Fili and receiving a slight nod in return. He would do what he could between now and then. Once out in the corridor Kili greeted members of the Company and spent time speaking to all who sought him out. After they dispersed he thought it might be interesting to go wander around for a better look at their kingdom than he'd yet had, but his first priority was to locate Tauriel, not liking the way she'd simply vanished this morning.

It was a bit of a maze to find his way to the main gate and there he frowned at the tight embrace Tauriel and Legolas were wrapped in. Before he could clear his throat or challenge Legolas to a duel they parted and Legolas kissed her forehead, squeezing her hand as he backed away. Kili went swiftly to her side when he saw the first tear fall. "Tauriel?"

She looked up, now much more herself wearing familiar clothes and the same weave in her hair as when they first met. "Legolas is leaving. He stayed only to see me through your recovery and my own rest." Her eyes closed. "My heart aches with missing him already. We've been friends over two and a half lifetimes of dwarves, ever has he been at my side when I needed him."

Kili took her hand. "Perhaps when the loss is not so fresh you could allow another to stand in that place?" he asked hopefully. At her surprise he glanced back the way he'd come. "Tauriel, may we speak?"

She looked towards the open air. "If we can be outside. Too long have I been bereft of the wind on my skin and the sunshine on my face."

Kili would gladly have followed her anywhere and nodded, trailing her into the crisp air. When she looked at him expectantly he hesitated. "I talked to Thorin today." Her eyebrows jumped up and he winced. "I did not intend to, but I suppose I was less discreet confiding in Fili than I might have been." Kili rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "He wants to meet you tomorrow. To decide one way or the other if you may stay."

Tauriel opened her mouth to say she wouldn't go but realized if that was the king's edict then she would have no other recourse. What then happened? Kili was her only reason for being there, she had no other purpose outside her forest.

He took her hand. "I will think on a secondary solution, if one be needed." Receiving no reply, Kili continued, "You are looking more like yourself today."

Tauriel smiled slightly. "Legolas returned to the forest while I rested and brought back a few of my things." She smoothed her hands down her tunic. "It is a relief to wear my own clothes again, even if I am no longer a guard."

His brow furrowed. "Why ever not?"

Her gaze drifted towards Mirkwood. "I am banished for defying my king, but more than that I drew my bow on him in the streets of Dale."

Now Kili's mouth fell open. "What? Why?" She was so loyal to her realm he could not fathom a reason for her to turn against it.

Tauriel's eyes flashed. "Because he did not understand what was worth fighting for! It was a foolish attempt and I lost...my bow because of it. But I could have just as easily lost my life if Legolas hadn't intervened." Her cheeks flushed with her passion. "King Thranduil didn't think I knew real love but I do. I know love that overrides every instinct one possesses in defense of the one you love. I know love so intense sometimes I could not see straight. Love," her voice cracked, "that nearly broke my heart when I feared you lost to me. And I know it is real," she declared as if he intended to argue her point.

Kili blew out a breath. "I know. I love you so much I would leave my home if necessary. Tauriel, regardless of Thorin's decision please stay. It does not have to be here. But please stay with me."

Tauriel bend her head to kiss his cheek. "I have only been waiting for you to ask."

 **LOTR**

At bedtime that night he intervened before she could go to her small chamber. "Just in case tomorrow's decision means we may spend a little time apart," Kili began, "I would be glad of your nearness Tauriel, one more time." He swallowed his fear of being alone but Tauriel saw it anyways and nodded. They parted ways to change and she came back in a dusk coloured sleeping gown that shimmered when she moved. He reached out to touch the material before thinking better of it, caught off guard by the softness. "How do you put light in fabric?" he asked in awe.

Tauriel laughed and assumed a position of repose facing him. "Mortals have observed that Elven cloth seems to emanate light. As that is very important to elves, I suppose it makes sense. There is really no other explanation."

Kili smiled but hard a hard time maintaining his distance from her. "I am honoured by your trust Tauriel, your heart. I haven't said it yet but thank you. Thank you for...seeing me."

Her expression softened and she reached out to cup his cheek briefly. "Kili. Thank you for showing me the life I was missing."

He lay his hand over hers for a moment and then they parted, content to be together but apprehensive for what the morrow would bring.

 **LOTR**

December 5 - Day 12

Tauriel paced his chamber the next morning, going back and forth over which outfit to wear, how to do her hair, whether to wear her weapons or face Thorin without them. Kili watched in amusement the first few times that grew to anxiety as she continued and finally he stepped into her path. "Tauriel please, you're making me dizzy."

She dropped onto the stool where she'd remained all those days while he slept and pressed her hands to her face. "I am not used to being nervous," she confessed. "I have been so sure of myself and my duties for so long. This feeling is foreign to me and my very identity seems in question." Her brow furrowed. "If I am no longer a guard, who am I?"

Kili stroked her cheek. "You're a beautiful, brave, compassionate woman whom I am honoured to know." He pushed a lock of hair over her shoulder and suddenly remembered what Legolas said. "Tauriel, may I braid your hair?" He chuckled. "I've spent enough time studying it, I'm certain I can replicate your usual style."

Tauriel blinked in surprised and nodded slowly. "Yes. But you need not copy what I usually wear. Do it however you like."

It was a dangerous freedom to give him, whether she realized it or not. Legolas had been correct, dwarves placed great significance on braiding and each weave had its own message. What he wanted to say to her and proclaim about her had not yet been made official in any way and would therefore be inappropriate. He would have to tread a fine line in what he chose to plait into her long red tresses.

Finding a comb, Kili began drawing it through the silky length and could see the almost immediate effect it had on Tauriel - her rigid posture softened, her eyes closed, and the tension drained slowly away. Grinning, he slowly made his way through all of her hair before setting the comb aside and separating a section to begin his first braid. Neither of them said a word during that sacred time and Kili kept his message simple, not wanting to overwhelm her or anyone else with his frank declaration if they happened to see.

Finally he finished and set his hands on Tauriel's shoulders. "Are you ready amralime?"

She tilted her head and glanced back at him. "You never did tell me what that means."

Kili quirked a grin at her. "Don't you know?"

"I can guess," she said quietly, "but I would rather hear it from you."

He moved in front of her and swallowed hard, grasping her hands and pressing his forehead to hers. "My love."

Tauriel hummed in approval and tugged her hands free, bringing them up to frame his face, her fingertips stroking lightly over his scruffy cheeks. "Meleth-nin," she returned in a reverent whisper. "Kili, are you sure you want to be with an elf? I-"

Kili placed a finger over her lips. "I'm sure I want you Tauriel, I do not care about your race. You captured my heart from the very first, that cannot be taken back. Should I ask you the same?"

She slanted him a look. "If I did not want to be here with you, I would not be."

He kissed her nose. "Then I think you have my answer."

Tauriel blew out a breath and nodded before standing. "I'm ready."

Kili wove his fingers between hers, reminded of the way she let him touch her after she healed him, and walked towards the door. A strange pair they made on their way down the hall - an Elf shorter than most and a dwarf whose height set him apart as being from a revered lineage, equaling out to only a handful of inches that separated them unlike the difference between such others like Gloin and Legolas, who was nearly as tall as his father. At the door to Thorin and Fili's chamber Kili didn't bother to knock and led her in, never letting go of her hand.

He stood straight and proud before Thorin, who'd made sure he was out of bed and sitting for this audience, and bowed respectfully. "Thorin, King Under the Mountain, I present to you Tauriel of the Woodland Realm whom I love. You have heard of her actions in defense of your nephew, we wait now for your judgement."

Thorin nodded at Kili and leveled a stern gaze at Tauriel, who bowed also. "I am honoured to meet you formally at last Your Majesty. I regret that our courtesy was lacking during our previous acquaintance." She glanced down for a moment. "I hope you understand that I could not go against my king's orders despite what appeared to be unjust imprisonment."

"And yet you did go against orders when you tracked us to Lake-town, abandoning your prince to save my nephew," he said solemnly. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Though none heard words pass between us, for elves do not always speak aloud, Legolas understood why I had to stay. As to your question..." Tauriel spread her hands in supplication "...the only answer I can give is that I did it for love. Perhaps I could not have labeled the reason that night, but I knew when Kili left for the Mountain that my heart belonged to him and though we were needed in separate places at the time, still I wished I could have been with him." She sighed, looking back at Fili who was watching the proceedings with no small amount of concern. "I may have been able to help prevent some of the damage that was done had I been closer when the fighting began."

Thorin shook his head. "You are too young to carry the weight of decisions made by others Lady Elf. If my regrets alone over the events of the past month could be gathered and tallied, the list would be a much longer one than yours." He stood, looking every inch their king, and bowed to her. "You have my most heartfelt gratitude for your aid. What is it you would have from us? I want not for the dwarves of Erebor to be in debt to any of our defenders."

Tauriel swallowed. "I would have a home, here in your Mountain. A place to belong, as you may have heard I am no longer welcome among my own people." She glanced furtively at Kili. "And I would have your blessing for the love Prince Kili and I share. There may be no other like it in all of Arda, but it is ours and it is a gift. From you I ask nothing else King Thorin, that is all I require."

Thorin Oakenshield studied the elf and the dwarf standing before him and shared a quick look with his heir as well before nodding. "That is little enough to ask for your service my lady. It is granted. We will consider you a friend from this day forth. The Mountain is yours, you are welcome in every part of it. As to my nephew..." he'd glimpsed the braid in her hair when Tauriel had turned to see Fili "...his feelings for you are as plain as yours for him. I leave to you both to decide what will come of that, if anything can. There will be no obstacles put in your path from us, enough are already laid because of your choice." Finally he smiled. "Welcome Tauriel, beloved of Kili." Thorin aimed a heavy look at his nephew. "Take care of your elf my sister-son. The days ahead will not be easy."

Kili grinned and nodded, wishing Fili was well enough to receive the exuberant embrace he wanted to share with his brother. "Thank you Thorin, thank you."

Thorin waved them off. "Go now and find her a room. Between the four of us we will think of ways in which she can become part of what we are building here." He clasped arms with his nephew. "You have my blessing. Decide carefully what you will do with it."

Kili and Tauriel hurried out, exuding joy and relief and Fili gazed lazily at his uncle from the bed. "Something must've happened to you since Mirkwood. I didn't expect you to go so easy on them."

Thorin returned to his rest and leaned back against the pillows. "I thought about coming down harder, but making a relationship between an elf and a dwarf work will be difficult enough without my adding to that. Besides," troubled eyes rested on the door, "though Tauriel's days are nearly limitless Kili's are not. I do not want to take any more from them when they are already counting down."

Fili didn't like to think about a life without his brother, though they were both still young. But in the eyes of an immortal three hundred years must seem like a flash and he hoped suddenly that Tauriel would not regret the commitment she was making when the end came. "I suppose now we just wait and see."

"Aye," Thorin sighed. "This is new ground for all concerned."

 **LOTR**

December 5-29 (Month 1), December 30-January 29 (Month 2), January 30-March 1 (Month 3)

That night Tauriel settled on the bed with him again and gradually Kili stopped asking. One week became two and then a month but true to his word, the vow he'd made to himself and Legolas, Kili never touched her. On the dawn of a new month Tauriel woke to Kili's hand around hers - she'd been offering comfort when they slipped into dreams the night before and evidently forgot to let go. She pulled away immediately, self-conscious, but the next night it happened again and then another until Tauriel knew rather than just suspected that Kili was doing it on purpose. But she found she did not mind and there was something soothing about falling asleep to his warm touch.

The third month, however, when Kili opened his eyes to see Tauriel looking at him with the familiar depth of love in her gaze, despite his resolve he couldn't seem to stop himself. Reaching out, he slid his hand along her cheek and leaned close, pressing his mouth to hers. The sensation was overwhelming and Kili barely had the presence of mind to draw back and take air into his lungs once more. Than he held his breath for her reaction, hoping that wasn't a mistake.

Tauriel looked at him a bit dazedly, touching her lips absently. Though they expressed their love for each other regularly and she'd learned the braids he liked to put in her hair also spoke of similar sentiment, this was the first time he'd dared kiss her and she hadn't expected to feel so much. A smile curved her lips and shyness overcame her, causing her eyes to drop to the bed, but she didn't protest in the slightest when Kili tipped up her chin and tried again. This time Tauriel slid her fingers into his soft hair and leaned into the caress, not wanting it to end.

They parted only for need of breath and then Kili shook his head and flopped back on the pillow. "You have no idea the power you hold over me Tauriel."

She sat up and hung her legs over the edge of the bed, glancing back over her shoulder. "I would say the same to you."

His expression sobered. "I'm afraid kissing you is an action I cannot repeat often for fear of not being able to stop."

Tauriel nodded. "I did not expect it to...take over everything." She hadn't been able to form a coherent thought from the moment he touched her. "But it was...very nice."

"More than nice," Kili agreed, blowing out a breath. They processed the change silently for a few minutes before he got her attention once more. "I love you Tauriel."

Her fingers drifted over the back of his hand. "Le melin Kili."

They got up to begin their day, Tauriel retreating to the nursery to go through her morning routine and Kili deciding to go for a swim in the deep pool on the lowest level. A splash of cold water from the basin wouldn't be enough to get his thoughts off kissing Tauriel and all that could eventually lead to. And he would rather move to the other side of the Mountain than dishonour her or break the trust she'd placed in him.

But even a refreshing swim couldn't scrape the smile off his face and he ran into Fili on his way back to their room, grinning like he'd struck gold. Fili was at long last in the end stages of his recovery. It had been a long road to get to this point - two months spent in bed of not putting any pressure on his back or jarring broken bones, the removal of the stiff braces from his leg and arm, the slow return to use of his limbs. Even now he continued to be careful, despite that Oin had cautiously declared him healed, and all had to be gentle in how they touched him lest something cause discomfort. But he was back on his feet for short intervals and Kili was thrilled to see the progress.

Fili eyed his brother's expression suspiciously and abruptly pulled him into a hidden alcove. "Do I even want to know what you've been up to this morning?"

"Swimming?" Kili offered innocently.

Fili pointed at him accusingly. "One does not get that look on his face from swimming." He paced away in frustration. "I thought you knew better than that Kili! After all the trust Uncle has given you and Tauriel, to...do...whatever it is you're doing with her...it's indecent!"

Kili arched an eyebrow in confusion. "What exactly do you think Tauriel and I are doing?"

"She's been sleeping in your bed for two months!" Fili exploded. "What am I supposed to think?"

Kili chuckled and grasped his brother's shoulder. "On. She's been sleeping on my bed," he corrected. "There's a big difference." Erebor, especially after the gates were remade, was comfortably warm from the forges no matter the season so it wasn't such a concern that Tauriel had no covering. Though he did hope that one day they would share the ones he slept under, even if he'd yet to confide that to her.

Fili stopped short. "You've not touched her."

The younger dwarf pressed his lips together. "I've held her hand," he admitted. "And this morning I kissed her for the first time, but that is all Fi, I swear it. I would never act improperly towards Tauriel, I can't. Not when I know what a gift it is that she's even here at all."

His brother laughed. "So this...look you're wearing is all because you finally kissed your elf?" Fili shook his head. If Kili displayed that much joy from one kiss, he couldn't imagine his expression when he at last took Tauriel to wife.

A bit embarrassed, Kili shrugged. "Aye. She's something special Fi. I can't explain it. But when I look into her eyes I'm just...more somehow."

Fili cuffed him on the shoulder. "Sorry I jumped to conclusions."

"I don't blame you," Kili said at once, his brow furrowing. "Is that...what everyone thinks? That I'm bedding her because she's staying with me?" His stomach turned. It was unbearable to wonder if the others were passing judgement on his beloved merely because of appearances.

Fili shrugged. "There's been some talk but most are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

Rumours spread fast in any group and dwarves were no exception, especially with new ones from the Iron Hills and Blue Mountains trickling in now that winter was passing. He rubbed his face. "What am I to do about that?"

Slinging an arm around his shoulders, Fili steered his brother down the hall. "I'll set the record straight when I have the opportunity. But all the same Ki, you may want to think about how long you're going to wait to claim the lass. It's clear to us all she's made her choice. What are you waiting for?"

Kili walked back into his room in a haze of self-doubt. What indeed?

 **LOTR**

March 2-April 1 (Month 4)

Kili had been looking at her a lot over the past month and Tauriel had begun to realize it was not just normal looking because he liked to watch her, but looks heavy with meaning as if he was thinking about something very hard and she was part of it. For the most part Tauriel was patient, waiting for him to finally share what was on his mind, but Kili had been so quiet lately that she did not want to press, rather she simply offered what she could in hopes of easing his mind. She held his hand while they slept, braided his hair without being asked, watched his sparring matches, kissed him now and then when he wasn't expecting it and they were outside of the chamber that was his officially but had long been theirs. Nothing seemed to break through his sober countenance but each time she tried he smiled like she'd given him a treasure beyond reckoning so Tauriel knew she must be doing something right.

Then finally one morning after they'd woken and were just laying there enjoying the quiet peace before their day began, Kili looked over at her with a bright hope burning in his dark eyes. "Tauriel, will you be my wife?"

So many thoughts flew through her mind at the question, but they were all overshadowed by the love that filled her heart. "Yes," she said simply and Kili's face nearly split with his answering grin.

"Really?"

"Yes," she confirmed, welcoming his kiss when he lunged forward to capture her lips. It was the most intensity they'd ever shared in the action - Kili partially draped over her though separated by clothes and bedding, his hands sliding through her hair and down her back, pressing her ever closer and Tauriel's hands slipping down his chest and back for the sheer joy of feeling his familiar form under her touch. All of a sudden he broke away, breathing hard and unable to look at her.

They caught their breath and he huffed a laugh. "My apologies Tauriel, I didn't mean to get so carried away."

Tauriel didn't know at what moment his control broke but she respected that he knew his limit and ran a hand lightly down his back. Kili shivered but otherwise didn't move. "Do not apologize for something I enjoyed," she said quietly. "When should we have the ceremony?"

Kili cleared his throat. "If it can't be done today I'm going to have to sleep on the floor. I don't think I can lay beside you any longer and fight the desire I feel. And I refuse to dishonour you."

She fingered the ends of his hair, not realizing that her touch for once was more of a torment than a comfort. "I trust you Kili. You have shown time and again that you both love and respect me. I will do whatever you need. There is still the nursery made up," she smirked, "though I've never actually spent a full night there."

He groaned. "I still would rather not be alone without you. Let us go speak to Thorin and see if he will marry us. It is only if we must wait past today that an alternate solution might be needed."

Immediately following breakfast they sought an audience with Thorin and stood before the king in his study to present their request. If Thorin was surprised he did not show it and summoned Nori, acting as door warden today. "Assemble the Company here at two this afternoon, as well as the Crown Prince." He grinned. "Erebor is to have its first wedding."

Accordingly, by authority of the King Under the Mountain Prince Kili was joined to the elf Tauriel as husband and wife in the presence of those who'd been present to watch their love grow from interest and admiration to fierce and loyal commitment. The kitchens, given very little notice, still managed to produce a veritable feast to celebrate for any of the dwarrow in the Mountain wishing to attend and there was even dancing afterwards. The couple was thoroughly lauded and enjoyed themselves immensely, but the best was yet to come.

Once alone in their chamber - now recognized as theirs by all - and dressed to sleep (though Kili fervently hoped there would be little sleeping this night), Kili and Tauriel stood facing each other across the bed the moment reality came home to them how much had changed. Taking a deep breath, she folded back the covers and got into his bed for the very first time. Kili joined her there swiftly and held out his arms, feeling her come to rest against him also for the first time. Her warm weight was a comfort and without realizing it they both drifted off to sleep, so worn out were they from the day's festivities.

Kili woke first, sometime in the late watches of the night, and couldn't resist - particularly now that he didn't have to - pressing a gentle kiss to his wife's mouth. Tauriel responded as if in a dream and then opened her eyes to find that it had come true. Delight coursed through them both as they came wide awake to enjoy the slow journey to intimacy and the consummation of all they had waited for. That, Kili thought later when Tauriel lay on his bare chest and he stroked her soft skin, was a victory hard fought but all the sweeter for what they had built along the way. He kissed her hair and closed his eyes, so grateful that this life they now shared was so much more than just a dream.

THE END

 _Thank You God for this story. I love you, L_


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